News and Nerves

As some of you had guessed, I got a job!!!  It's a great opportunity with a growing company and even came with a 10% raise from my previous position.  I start on Monday.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that it's in the far suburbs (in Schaumburg for you Chicagoans) and will be over an hour commute each way.  And of course, it means I'll no longer just head downstairs to chill on the couch with my best girl.

No more afternoon scritchin' sessions in my pajamas.

Or having Maisie rest peacefully nearby while I eat lunch (still working security with one eye though).

Because of her separation anxiety, I never leave Maisie home alone in the crate for an entire workday.  I found a dog daycare about ten minutes away from the new office and assuming all goes well on Monday, I am planning to take her along with me on the drive Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and drop her off at daycare on my way.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will bring Maisie to my dog walker Paul's house (about 20 minutes in the opposite direction) early in the morning then pick her up after work, so she'll spend those days hanging out and playing with his three dogs.  I'm definitely gonna be putting a lot more miles on my car!

I know Maisie is going to freak out about the new daycare, especially since we've both become so used to being together nearly all the time.  And I feel super guilty because I don't have time to actually check out the facility in person before bringing her there for the first time (although I have had two lengthy phone calls with the manager, during which we discussed Maisie's issues and how they will address them).  I'm sure she will be fine, but I can't help but worry.  I will already be nervous about my first day of work on Monday, and Maisie will surely pick up on those nerves and be even more scared about being left at a strange place.

But ultimately, I need to do what I have to do and getting this job is a HUGE relief...I am so happy to have it and I'm really excited to get started.  Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement!  :)

p.s. L'shanah tovah to my fellow Jewish peeps...I wish everyone a fantastic 5772!

p.p.s. for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Wordless Wednesday - Living Room Dog Bed Photo Shoot Edition

Don't judge me.  This is one damn cute dog.  :)

Stay tuned for some big news coming next week!  And in the meantime, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't already!

Next Stage

Although I am still interviewing for full-time jobs, I am very relieved to have secured a couple part-time freelance work-from-home gigs.  They should add up to about 20 hours a week, which (combined with dipping into my savings) will help me get through the end of the year if necessary.  Maisie is so sensitive to my moods, hopefully this development means I won't have to see Maisie's worried face again for a while!

  "is everything gonna be OK?  are you sure???"

A change of scenery remains a definite possibility for us, but I didn't tell Maisie that.  I want her to enjoy her runs, treats and walks then relax and dream her doggie dreams.  There aren't any decisions to be made yet.  Maybe tomorrow, or maybe in a month or two.  But not right now. 

In the meantime, I have some thinking to do...

p.s. for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

New Tag

As I mentioned, last week we won an ID tag from Of Pitbulls and Patience's "True Story Tuesday" contest and it arrived yesterday.  It's adorable so of course I wanted to show it to all of you, but Maisie had other ideas.

"Lady, I am SLEEPING."

In retrospect, I probably should have photographed the tag before I put it on Maisie's collar.  Because most of the attempts to capture it on film afterwards came out like this...

Or this...

Or this.

Then, finally...success!

Maisie's Mom is in desperate need of a manicure...she'd appreciate it if you'd ignore that fact.

Ain't it cute?  I just love it.  And it sure felt nice to have something positive happen around here!  :)

p.s. for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Summer is over and the weather already feels like fall.  I heard geese flying overhead yesterday, making their way south for the winter.  Change is in the air.  You all have read my posts about working in a dog-friendly office, then working from home, and now...I don't know what's next.  Because tomorrow is officially my last day of work.  *sigh*

I started working literally the day after I graduated college and have never not had a job since, so this is all new to me.  Thankfully, I have managed to save a little bit of money and I am lucky to have the emotional support of my family and friends.  I've already started interviewing for a couple positions but at this point, I don't know that I will be staying in Chicago.  It's an exciting but also extremely scary time for me and Maisie (or should I say, for Maisie and Me).  However things end up, life is about to become very different for both of us.  The only thing I know for sure is that my dog and I will stay together, no matter what happens.

Keep reading to follow us on this latest journey.  And wish us luck!

Wordless Wednesday - Security!

The first shift starts pretty early around here...gotta make sure the perimeter is secure before breakfast!

p.s. for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Scenes from Six Days of Peepers

Curtis comes home from soggy New Orleans tonight, and that means our time with Mister Peepers is coming to an end.  Both he and Maisie seem eager to return to their respective senses of normalcy at this point, but I have been known to anthropomorphize at times so perhaps they are actually just thinking about squirrels.

Here are just a few of the many pics taken during the past several days (with minimal duplication from those already posted on our Facebook page, for those of you who have been keeping up with us there).

two snoozy pups...make room in bed for me, please!

 Peeps decided it might be a good idea to sleep with one eye open when afternoon napping...

two dogs working security are better than one!

getting so tiiiiiired...

crazy Maisie face + yawning Peepers = typical morning wake-up situation

 Peepers hit Maisie in the head with this in an attempt to encourage her to play.  it didn't work.

dignified portrait or cry for help?

 c'mon, let's play!!!

p.s.  thanks so much to Of Pit Bulls & Patience for randomly selecting us as the winner of their 
"True Story Tuesday" contest...we can't wait to receive Maisie's awesome new custom ID tag!

Dog Sitting - First Full Day

My friend Curtis is out of town for a week and I am taking care of his his dog Mister Peepers while he's away.  Peeps arrived yesterday afternoon and will be staying at the Maisie and Me Inn until next Tuesday night.  Although he and Maisie have had many playdates, they've never been together overnight or for multiple days in a row, so we took some precautions to ensure the comfort and safety of both resident and guest.

First, I asked Curtis to bring over an additional crate.  This has made feeding time much easier, especially because Peeps is highly allergic to everything and there would be very negative consequences if he were to get ahold of Maisie's food or treats.  It will also allow me to leave them crated side-by-side if I go out.

Second, he also brought an extra dog bed so there would be no fighting over the bed in the living room.

Since it is actually Maisie's old bed that we donated to Peeps, Maisie has no problem claiming it for herself!

Mr. Peepers is obsessed with toys and Maisie is not, so he is able to play away with no interest from her.

It helps that my house is large enough to allow each dog plenty of space for alone time.  Maisie relaxed in my bed after her session with the dog runner this morning (which gave her some valuable solo time as well).

While Peepers rested his itchy little body on the futon in the office and kept me company.

When they passed each other in the hallway, they barely even acknowledged each other and went on their respective ways.

They both love antlers so that's about the only thing that causes conflict between the two (other than the uncontrollable desire to hump that sometimes overcomes Peepers), so I am restricting their availability.  Usually I keep multiple antlers laying around for Maisie and I did let both dogs chew freely yesterday, but so far today I have kept them put away.  I was concerned that Maisie would get agitated by another pooch sleeping in bed with us, but she adjusted surprisingly quickly and there were no altercations last night.  I have also been feeding, leashing and treating Maisie first to reinforce her "resident dog" status whenever possible.

So far, so good...six more days to go.  And although Maisie is of course still my #1 pup and remains the cutest dog in town, I cannot deny that Peeps is definitely adding to the adorability factor around here.  Now if only we could do something about his truly toxic farts...

"who, me?"

p.s. for more frequent Maisie (and temporarily, Mr. Peepers!) updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!